A wide variety of cleaning compositions have been extensively described in the art. Typically, cleaning compositions can be divided into hard surface cleaning compositions and laundry cleaning compositions. Cleaning compositions of these two types are traditionally very different in formulation and are sold as different products with different marketing concepts. These differences impose on the consumer to have to purchase and use at least two different products. Furthermore, compositions of the two types above, especially hard surface cleaners, can be divided into sub-types. Indeed, many different kinds of hard-surface cleaners are available, for instance bathroom cleaners, kitchen cleaners or floor cleaners.
This variety in formulation is rendered necessary by the difference in nature between the soils which can be found on laundry and on various hard-surfaces in kitchens and bathrooms. For instance, kitchen soils comprise mainly edible oils, while bathroom soils comprise mainly sebum and soap scum, also limescale; floor soils comprise mainly particulate soils and laundry may have many different soils/stains including greasy stains (e.g., olive oil, mayonnaise, vegetal oil make up), particulate stains and/or bleachable stains (e.g., tea, coffee).
However, there is a trend for the development of liquid aqueous cleaning compositions with better performance in several respect, i.e., liquid aqueous multi-purpose cleaners which can be satisfactorily used on various surfaces as well as in laundry applications, to clean various soils and stains. Such multi-purpose compositions are, for example, disclosed in European patent application, EP-A-598973. Indeed, this patent application discloses liquid aqueous compositions comprising hydrogen peroxide with a fully nonionic system, i.e., at least one nonionic with an HLB above 15, at least one nonionic with an HLB of from 13 to 15, at least one nonionic with an HLB of from 9 to 13 and at least one nonionic with an HLB below 9. This patent application further discloses the use of 2-alkyl alkanols as suds suppressors in said compositions.
But, it has been found that such liquid aqueous compositions comprising hydrogen peroxide, a 2-alkyl alkanol and as the surfactant system, a specific nonionic system of at least four nonionic surfactants having different HLB (hydrophilic lipophilic balance) as defined hereinbefore, do not satisfactorily meet consumer's needs. Indeed, such compositions based on a fully nonionic surfactant system and comprising a high level of hydrophobic surfactants were found to have poor performance on some kind of stains in laundry application. Although such hydrophobic nonionic surfactants have good grease cutting properties and are particularly effective on greasy soils having hydrophobic character, such as mineral oil and soap scum when used in hard surface cleaning composition, it has been found that when said hydrophobic nonionic surfactants are used in laundry applications bleachable stains are not satisfactorily bleached. The wettability of the fabrics stains is seriously affected by the hydrophobicity of the nonionic system of said compositions, i.e., good contact between hydrogen peroxide and the stains on said fabric is prevented resulting thereby in poor performance on bleachable stain. Also, it has been found that there is a problem associated with the use of such ingredients, i.e., hydrophobic nonionic surfactants and 2-alkyl alkanols, in that they may cause the final product to appear hazy, indicating insolubility and phase separation.
Other multi-purpose liquid cleaning compositions have been disclosed like thus described in EP-A-666 308. Indeed, EP-A-666 308 discloses compositions comprising hydrogen peroxide or a source thereof, a 2-alkyl alkanol, a hydrophobic surfactant having an HLB below 14 and an anionic surfactant. However, there is still room to further improve such multi-purpose liquid aqueous cleaning compositions in respect of overall cleaning performance on various types of stains including for example bleachable stains and greasy stains.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a multi-purpose liquid aqueous composition providing improved bleachable performance and improved stain removal performance especially on greasy stains, when used in laundry applications including laundry pretreatment applications, and/or in any household applications (e.g. cleaning of hard-surfaces typically found in kitchens or bathrooms).
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such an improved liquid aqueous cleaning composition which is also a clear composition in a broad range of temperature, e.g. up to 45.degree. C.
It has now been found that these objects can be efficiently met by formulating a liquid aqueous cleaning composition having a pH up to 7 and comprising a peroxygen bleach, at least an ethoxylated nonionic surfactant and at least a zwitterionic betaine surfactant at a weight ratio of the ethoxylated nonionic surfactant to the zwitterionic betaine surfactant of from 0.01 to 20. Indeed, it is by combining these ingredients at the appropriate ratios that a multi-purpose liquid aqueous cleaning composition is provided which exhibits a great flexibility in the soils it may clean.
It has now been found that such a composition when used for example in a laundry application, especially in a pretreatment application, boosts the removal of various types of stains including greasy stains like lipstick, olive oil, mayonnaise, vegetal oil, sebum, make-up, and more surprisingly the bleaching performance, as compared to the stain removal and bleaching performance delivered by the same composition comprising only one of these surfactants (i.e., ethoxylated nonionic surfactant or zwitterionic betaine surfactant) at equal total level of surfactants. Also the compositions of the present invention significantly boost the removal of kitchen dirt when used to clean hard-surfaces, as compared to the same compositions comprising only one of these surfactants (i.e., ethoxylated nonionic surfactant or zwitterionic betaine surfactant) at equal total level of surfactants. Indeed, the compositions of the present invention provide excellent stain removal performance on a broad range of stains and soils and excellent bleachable performance when used in any laundry application, e.g., as a laundry detergent or a laundry additive, and especially when used as a laundry pretreater, or even in other household applications like in hard surface cleaning applications.
A further advantage is that the aqueous compositions herein are physically and chemically stable upon prolonged periods of storage.
Yet another advantage of the compositions according to the present invention is that they are able to perform in a variety of conditions, i.e., in hard and soft water as well as when used neat or diluted. Advantageously, they also provide satisfactory shine performance and surface safety when used as hard surface cleaners and satisfactory fabric and color safety when used as laundry cleaners.